Keyboard harmony: The major 7th chord chain

By William Ramsay and Martin Lillich

The major 7th chord chain

The major 7th chord is often, but not always, used as I chord in functional harmony. It consists of a major 3rd and a major 7th. The most common symbol used when writing the chord is a ∆ as in C∆. You can also write it as CM7.

In the 1 – 3 – 7 position the interval between 3 and 7 is a perfect 5th (P5).

In Cm7 the notes from the major third would be:

E         F          G         A         B 
1         2         3           4         P5

In the 1 – 7 – 3 position the interval between the 7 and the 3 is a perfect 4th (P4).

B         C         D         E 
1         2          3         P4

In this progression the movement in the right hand is in whole steps. In this case the major 7 always moves a whole step to become a 3rd in the next chord. The 3rd always remains the same and turns into a major 7 in the next chord. This means that you repeat one of the notes each time as you move down. Note that on F#∆ the major 7th is enharmonised from F to E#.

TIP: When practicing these exercises, always start with the bass line first. It is the hardest to play. Once you have mastered it, practice the right hand until you have mastered it too. Finally play both hands together. It is a good idea to use a metronome set at a slow speed. These exercises are not about speed but accuracy. You should concentrate on seeing the chords and memorising the hand shapes. If you are making mistakes, slow the speed down until you can play it correctly.

The major 7th chord chain starting on C∆ using the 1 – 3 – 7 position

In this exercise we start on C∆ in the 1 – 3 – 7 position and move in whole steps through all 12 chords before landing on C∆ at the end (full notation attached in PDF at the end of this article).

The major 7th chord chain starting on C∆ using the 1 – 7 – 3 position

By starting in the 1 – 7 – 3 the order is reversed (full notation attached in PDF at the end of this article).

The major 7th chord chain starting on B∆ using the 1 – 3 – 7 position

Starting on B∆ you can repeat the progression starting in the 1 – 3 – 7 position (full notation attached in PDF at the end of this article).

The major 7th chord chain starting on B∆ using the 1 – 7 – 3 position

Finally, you can start on B∆ in the 1 – 7 – 3 position to complete the exercise (full notation attached in PDF at the end of this article).

The tutorials shown here were designed for the Professional Training Programme developed by the Global Music Academy in Berlin, Germany, for use in Music Academies in Africa. The videos were made possible through a grant from the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union and Goethe-Institut, who funded the East African Global Music Campus (EAGMC), which took place in 2017-18 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with participants from Music Schools and Academies in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. These tutorials form part of the first year module of the keyboard harmony programme.